03 November 2009

Skegg

Skegg supposed he was stealthy by Troll standards, but he wasn't so sure that measured up to some of the other races. These Nyss Hunters were fantastic at moving sliently through the woods. As he watched them they rooted out handfuls of Cygnarian scouts with little trouble at all. As he watched them at work, noting the expert ways they handled their bows and claymores, their leader became clear. A Nyss woman whom at first he didn't even notice, was clearly in charge, that and clearly better at everthing than the rest of her unit of hunters. Their leader told them to setup camp right where they were, a bad sign for Skegg since at the moment he was predening to be a rock that one of them had sat on to take watch on the edge of the clearing. He supposed it would be a long night, so he starting trying to learn how many were there and which ones were the best at what they did. As he watched and listened he noticed two others that were with these hunters, but seemed to be working of thier own accord. The first one he had seen, the second he learned of from the Nyss sitting on him.

The first one obviously a Nyss, but young looking, seemed to be constantly muttering to herself constantly. As Skegg watched her begin to practice with her bow it became immediately clear that she was better than most the other hunters with it. She would shoot one arrow at a tree, take a pace back then draw and shoot as quickly as he had ever seen, planting the first arrow directly below the first until there was a long line of arrows down the tree. The man sitting on him began to speak as Skegg cursed under his breath for not noticing another hunter walk up, "She is pretty Cael, but remember how quickly she killed that fellow that attacked her." The other man, Cael, chuckled almost sadly,"yes that one is both pretty and dangerous, but she has proven herself to us. That shooting of hers is probably better than Celena herself." The still un-named hunter sitting on him noted, "Well yes, but her Iosian friend makes them a deadly duo. You are the best I have seen Cael, but that Iosian Kyla would take you apart and not even blink a hint of emotion about it." "I suppose you're right Jeffe, but those soulless are just disconcerting. I can see why the Iosians blame humans for the condition, though I am not sure it is their fault. Anyway, Celena wants to talk to you and it is my watch."

With that the two Nyss men both departed, one walked into the forest and seemed to vanish while the other headed to find his leader. Skegg scanned the encampment but couldn't see the Iosian Kyla, not seeing her with his eyes he stretched out his limited abilities and immdediately found the absence of magical energy. He released his magic and squinted through the dusk finally seeing her, another young looking female this one Iosian sitting perfectly still and showing little emotion at all. As he watched the girl drew two wicked looking blades and began to work through a routine that was both impressive and impossible for a Troll to accomplish.

Skegg began musing about his Troll lineage, it was pretty impressive after all. It was also the reason he was named Kithless. His grandfather was a very good Fel Caller in his day not to mention his prowess with the sword, of course his grandfater also lost his mind, murdered most of of kith and mated with a Pyre Troll and then got eaten by the same Pyre Troll. That child was his mother, and she was a very good mother even though she was a bit of an outcast due to her lineage. She possed all the abilities of both her parents. His other grandfather was just as glorious, he was nothing more than a farmer for his Kith, not a bad way to live working off the land. This grandfather drank too much even by Troll standards, which is impressive to say the least. One evening he went out to investigate sounds coming from his brewbarn and found a very inebriated Slag Troll. It was strange having two grandfathers fall to the same fate, but his father was an interesting Troll, with the Orneryness of his mother and the stupidity of his father dad was a poor one at best. His mother never told him how he was born, and she never would since her father took himself and his mother to Dhunia in a fit of rage one night. It was his father's crimes that labeled him Kithless, and truth be told it was probably a good thing.

He was an interesting Troll for sure. He had some marginal Fel Caller ability, though it was really only good for soothing the lesser of the Troll beasts. It did give him needed help from the occaisional Slag or Pyre Troll when he got in a tight spot. He could fight almost as well as any Fel Caller with two swords, though he had taken to carrying a mace in one hand and a sword in the other. If he was hungry he could eat metal thanks to his grandmothers physiology, though it hurt when he did it. And if he really needed some help he could spit small amounts of molten acid and fire onto his hands or weapons or even at his enemies. He was smaller than most light beasts and half-Trolls, but was suprisingly agile for a Troll. His regeneration was unparralled, it seemed he had all the regeneration of a Dire Troll packed into his smallish frame. It sure made him hungry all the time though.

He wanted to be fighting on the front lines with what he considered to be his Kith and Kriel. When he had went to Grissel to ask if he could fight though, she reminded him of his position with all Kriel. He of course reacted agrily and spit at her tent, forgetting about his spit, it burned her tent down. He decided then and there he would help as best he could from a distance, dispatching Cygnarrian scouts and troops wherever he found them crossing Grissel's West flank. The tiring part about it was hiding from Grissel's troops at the same time. He supposed Grissel was offended that he had any Warcaster and Fel Caller ability at all. He was hardly a warcaster, when compared to the great leaders and Troll shamans in this war his abilities were marginal. Even for a Troll what he was, well it was hard to swallow for most Kriel. Too many of them grouped him into the same categories as Boomhowler for his taste, though he heard that Boomhowler might actually be helping Grissel, it was probably in spite of Grissel.

Skegg's musing were inturrupted by a runner coming into Celena's camp, "Grissel asks that you come to the front immediately, her West flank is collapsing" As the camp of hunters, immediately set off to Grissel's aid Skegg reached out in his mind to his brothers. Bark the Slag Troll and Lit the Pyre Troll did not even need to be asked upon seeing his intentions and were soon heading the same way the Nyss Hunters and their two young friends did. Regardless of Grissel's feelings toward Kitless and bastard Fel Callers, he would do what he could. Besides that, Bark and Lit were sure that Skegg could get his arm cut off and grow it back fast enough to pick his mace back up and kill whatever cut it off. They were determined to give Skegg any opportunity to prove them wrong. As the three of them ran towards the oncoming battle Bark let out his signature Barking Roar and lit just howled, in fact Skegg found himself mimicing their enthusiam...

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